Safety clamp



Feb. 3, 1925.

. F. FAB ER SAFETY CLAMP Filed Aug. 13, 1924 INVENTOR Franz Faber A TTORNEYS Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

PATENT oFF-icE."

FRANZ FABER, or JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

/ SAFETY CLAMP.

Application filed August 13, 1924. 7 Serial No. 731, 728.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, FRANZ FABER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in' Safety Clamps, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a safety clamp of that type or character which is adapted to open and release a cable or shackle which may be connected thereto when the tension upon the safety clamp becomes excessive.

My safety clamp is primarily intended for the protection of aerial towers and also for the protection of the antennawires or cables themselves; it being intended that each wire or cable be connected to the tower by means of a safety clamp sojthatshould the tension on the wire become excessive due to abnormal wind velocities or excessive.

accumulation of snow or ice on the wire, the safety clamp will then open and release the wire and thus protect the wlre against breakage or the aerial tower from being 'overturned.

My device may also be used wherever a chain, cable, or other member may become subjected to excessive loads and its release ment under such excessive loads will consrtitut-e a protection. i

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the above-mentioned character which is simple in construction, involves but few parts, and of such design and nature as to absolutely insure its opening. andthe releasement of the cable which is attached thereto, even under the most adverse cir.

cumstances, such as might be caused by the accumulation of a coating of ice and snow over the entire device.

A further object is to provide a' safety clamp which is not only simple in construction but rugged and durable and capable of with standing high but normal strains without breakage, and, further, withstand the action of the elementsover a considerable period of time.

A further object is to provide a safety clamp with a releasing mechanism which may be set. to release at; a predetermined load and can be absolutely relied upon to release When said predetermined load is reached and at the same time so designed and arranged that there is no danger-or likelihood of the device prematurely opennature of a look, so that under ordinary and safe loads the jaws of the clamp are posiltively held together and under excessive lVith the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the improved safetiy clamp illustrated in theaccompanying drawing and hereinafter de scribed and claimed, and in such variations and modifications thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which'my invention relates, it being understood that changes may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit thereof.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawlng, wherein: I Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved safety clamp when subjected to normal loads or tensions; H I

Figure 2 is a similar view clamp has been subjected to excessive loads and the jaws have opened;

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the foregoing; and

7 ing or releasing, the mechanism being in the afterlthe safety 7 Figure 4: is a view in section taken on the 7 line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring specifically to the several views, wherein similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout, an ex-v tensible spring 10 of the elliptical type is provided and includes the sides 11 and 12, the spring being of such character that when tension is applied to the endsthereof and longitudinally of the spring the sides closed together as illustrated in Figure 1, a

closed eye 16 will be formed and which is adapted to receive the end of a cable, hook or shackle 17 and accordingly secure it to the safety clamp. The jaw 15 is bifurcated to form the two rearwardly extending arms III) 18, 19. The arm 18 having an inwardly turned end 20 isanchored inplace'with relation to the spring 10 by the provision of a bracket 21 which is rigidly secured to the side 11 of the spring by the bolts. 22.- The bracket includes a downwardly ext-ending arm 23 which is provided with the slot 2&-

gage the respective ends of the said bolt or v pivot. The upper jaw 1% is provided with the rearwardly extending arm 25, which is slightly longer than the corresponding arm 19 of the lower jaw 15, the two jaws being bent in a lateral manner as illustrated in Figure 3, so that the end of the arm 25 will be located directly below but in the same.

plane as the end portion of the arm 19. A latch 26 is pivoted to the arm and has the forwardly projecting latch 27 which is.

adapted to extend over and engage the upper surface 28 of the end of the arm 19 and.

when so positionedho-ld the jaws. 1st and 15 together, as illustrated in Figure .1. The pivot 29, by means of which the latch is se-. cured to the arm v25, is spaced from the main pivot bolt13 a greater distance than the spacing. of the surface 28 from the pivot 13, so that. the latch will be inclined in a forward direction and a tension upon the eye or cable 17 tending to open the. jaws Pi -1 5 will force the latch rear-wardly and cause it to release the arms 19 and 25. A trigger member 30 is slidably received by the bracket 21 and threadedly engages a second bracket 31, which latter is secured to the side12 of the spring. and is locked in ad justed position by the. clamping nut 32. The, trigger member is provided with a trigger proper 33 and the latch 26 is provided with a rearwardly extending lug or abutment 3 1 which is adapted to contact with the trigger proper 33 and. thereby lock the latch 26 operable position, as illustrated in Figure 1, holding the jaws 14 and 15 together. The upper extremity of the trigger member 30 is provided with the wrench-engageable surface 35, so that the trigger proper may be moved transversely of the spring and locked in adjusted position. With the parts as; thus arranged, the outermost end A of the spring is secured to a wireless tower or other.

fixture and the cable, chain or other device 17 is fastened between the jaws 14 and 15, as illustrated in Figure 1, thelatch having been previously pressed over the end of the arm 19 and locked in such position by the.

adjusting of the trigger proper The lug 34 has its rear surface rounded or concave, as at 36-, as illustrated in Figure 3, so as to provide suiiicient surface contact with the trigger member 33, which latter is cylindrical in form. With the parts as thus arranged and the trigger member locked in its position as illustrated in Figure 1, normal strains, While tending to cause the sides 11 and 12 to approach each other, will not be suflicient to cause the trigger member to latch, The, latch, flying. back: and being forced off of the end'of the arm 19, immediately allows the clampingjaws l t and 15 to open and thereby release the element which was, secured or positioned therein.

Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent i 1. A safety clamp comprising a loop shaped spring, a holding device at one end thereof for the securement of a cable, chain, or other element, theopposite end of said spring adapted for securement to a support, a releasing mechanism carried by said spring vcooperating with said holding device and locking the same, said releasing mechanism operated upon the transverse movement of the sides of thelspring, thereby unlocking said holding device and releasing the element which may be attachedthereto.

2. A safety clamp comprising an elongated spring with the sides'thereof adapted to approach each other under tension, clamping jaws carried at one end of said spring, the oppositeend of said spring adapted for securement to a support, a latch secured to one of the jaws-and adapted to engage the other of said jaws, and a trigger mechanism .carried by one side of said spring, normally engaging and holding said latch in engagement, with the said jaws and locking said jaws together, said trigger. adapted to be moved the transverse movement of the slde of saidsprlng when the latter is subjected to abnormal stresses and to release said latch for the releasement of said aws.

3. A safety clamp comprising a spring havingspacedsides adapted for transverse movement when stresses are applied to the ends. of said spring,. on e end of said spring adapted for securement to a support, the opposite end of said spring carrying hinged jaws, a latch extending between the rear extremities of the jaws and locking the front extremities together, and a trigger mechanism carried by the sides of said spring bearing against and holding said latch in engagement with the rear extremities of said jaws, said trigger mechanism adapted to move under abnormal stresses to release said latch and allow for the forced separation of the said jaws.

4:. A safety clamp comprising an elongated 100p spring, one end thereof adapted for securement to a support, a pair of hinged jaws carried at the remote end of said spring, said jaws provided with rearwardly extending portions, the rear extremity of one jaw secured to the side of the spring, a latch secured to the rear extremity of one jaw and detachably engaging the other jaw extremity, a trigger member secured to the side of said spring opposite to the securement of the jaw to said spring and normally interposed in the path of movement of the latch and preventing the releasement thereof, the sides of said spring adapted to transversely move under abnormal stresses to move the trigger member out of contact with the latch and allow the same to release the said jaws.

5. A safety clamp comprising an elonone side of said spring, a latch carried by 7 one of said jaws and detachably engaging the other of said jaws and when so engaged locking the jaws together, a trigger member interposed in the path of movement of the latch and normally preventing the disengagement thereof from said jaws, said trigger member under abnormal stress upon the spring adapted to move out of the path of said latch and allow the same to be forcibly released from said jaws for the releasement of whatever element may be connected thereto.

Signed at Jersey City, in the county of- Hudson and State of New Jersey, this 2nd day of July, A. D. 1924. 

